Asylum seeker allegedly assaulted in NT

An asylum seeker is in hospital after being assaulted by five guards at a Darwin detention centre, a refugee advocacy group says.

The 45-year-old Iraqi man, known as Osman, was assaulted by guards at the Wickham Point immigration detention facility on Monday, the Darwin Asylum Seeker Support Advocacy Network says.

Osman had been leaving the medical clinic when he was accused of hiding medication and taken into a room where the alleged assault took place.

The next day, he was taken to hospital and put in a neck brace, which has since been removed.

"He was distressed and crying and said he was worried about his family (at the centre)," advocacy co-ordinator Natasha Blucher told AAP after she visited Osman in hospital.

"Regardless of what occurred, it appears to me that the injures he has sustained far outweigh the force that should have been required."

Osman, his wife and two teenage sons were previously held in detention on Nauru but were moved to Darwin more recently because of a medical issue.

The Department of Immigration and Border Protection has confirmed that a detainee was injured during an incident at the centre.

"The department will not tolerate detainees abusing or assaulting staff or fellow detainees or damaging property at detention centres," a spokesperson said.

Northern Territory police said they were investigating the incident.